Numerous instruments for measuring the operating parameters of power line conductors have been disclosed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,428,896; 3,633,191; 4,158,810; 4,268,818; 4,384,289 and 4,794,327 (the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference) each describe instruments for measuring and analyzing the performance of particular parameters of overhead power line conductors. Note, the terms power line, transmission line, and conductor are used interchangeably herein. Typically, these instruments only measure a subset of the many parameters needed to completely analyze an electrical power system. For example, prior art instruments may individually measure, but do not monitor: current flow in the conductor, conductor temperature, ambient temperature, conductor tension relative to a supporting tower, and/or conductor sag. To date, none of the prior art instruments measures or monitors a complete set of the parameters needed to fully describe the operational state of a power conductor. Moreover, prior art instruments do not provide for the sharing of data between similar instruments or multiple ground receiving stations. Rather, the above prior art references propose that individual instruments gather data for transmission through dedicated local ground receiving stations to central control stations for correlation and analysis. These instruments are simply not capable of simultaneously monitoring and analyzing many of the operating parameters of a transmission line.
In a system having several measuring instruments each transmitting data to ground based receivers, a means should be provided to ensure that more than one instrument is not transmitting at any given time. To avoid interference and data loss caused by more than one instrument transmitting data at a given time, it has been suggested that data could be transmitted in finite bursts at random times. However, under this approach, the possibility still exists that multiple instruments will transmit data at the same time.
Therefore, a need exists for an electrical instrument platform which may be mounted directly on an energized power conductor and is capable of simultaneously measuring and monitoring a complete set of parameters of the conductor while communicating those parameters to other similar instruments and also to local or remote ground based processors.